Electric sign.



G. S. COLEMAN.

ELECTRIC S1GN. APPucATloN man ocT.21,1915.

Patented De.18,1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l..

6. S. COLEMAN. ELECTRIC snm.

V APPLICATION FILED OCT. 2l, 19|6. 1,250,148. Patented De@.18,1917.

' 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

' #76, Z? 'f V 1h" a4 40 40 y .37 6 J7 K f E 2M" 46 l B GEORGE S. COLEMAN, OF NEW'ARK, NEW JERSEY.

ELECTRIC SIGN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led October 21, 1916. Serial N o. 126,862.

To all whom z't may concern.'

Be it known that I, GEORGE S. COLEMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Signs, of which the following is a. specification.

The present invention relates to automatic signs ofthat general type known as electrically-operated signs and it hasfor its objects, among others, to provide a novel sign havin a motion or moving picture effect, for a `vertising purposes, adaptable to windows, building and store fronts, roofs, along the line of a railroad or any other desired position, and made in any size to suit the conditions or circumstances under which it may be desired to operate the same. y

Another object of the invention is to provide an automatic electrically-operated 'si whereon the various figures representing t e persons or other objects may be shown in action while going through various movements, as in a store, or a restaurant, or in the street for instance, the persons being represented as if they were moving or in motion, and the length of time that each person or object shall be displayed being automatically controlled by suitable means, as for instance a fiasher.

Another object of my invention is to provide an improved construction of flasher for operating the various incandescent lamps, which flasher shall be of extremely simple and compact construction whereby to occupy but little space and so combined with the other features of my apparatus as to render the whole portable and'convenient to move from place to place. p

My improved flasher is of such construction that the same will not be liable to get out of order and is very inexpensive to manufacture.

Various other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

The invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement and combinations of parts as hereinafter fully described and then specifically pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure l represents a front view of one form of sign embodying my present invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical' cross section of the same on line 2--2 of Fig. 1, the electric motor being shown in elevation,

Fig. 3 is a side view of the brush-carrying arm and brushes.

Fig. 4 is a transverse section of said arm and one of the brushes.

Fig. 5 is a detail section on an enlarged sca-le showing the relative arrangement of two adjoining ring segments and one of the brushes.

Fig. 6 is a detail side elevation of the two contact segments and brush seen in Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a face view of the contact disk and contact rings carried thereby.

Fig. 8 is a detail plan view and Fig. 8a an elevation of a portion of one of the contact rings.

Fig. 9 is a detail sectional view of a portion of. a contact disk showing a. slightly modified way of attaching the Contact segments thereto.

Like numerals of reference indicate like parts throughout the various views.

My present invention is capable of embodiment in a variety of forms, and, of course, adapted to represent many views or pictures, the one herein illustrated, however, being deemed suflicient to make clear the general idea and one way of carrying'the same into practical effect.

The face of the sign shows a scene or picture of an interior or exterior of any store or building, or in fact pictures of any kind, too numerous to mention, and they' may be painted in water or other colors.

The face or front can be made of any semi-transparent material, as paper, cottoncloth, silk, etc; on the reverse side of the frontA are drawn figures of persons. These are pictures which give action in the scene to represent a person walking across a room for instance, which is painted on the front. Pictures of the person or persons are dra-wn in the proper places in relation to the picture which shows on the front. Each picture is drawn in succession, each succeeding picture having a pose or attitude which a vperson would naturally assume in the act of walking or running, as the case may be. Around the outline of each ligure and excepting the figures described, the paper or other material used is to be coated with a material or paint to make it opaque or light-tight.

The picture and figures on the material are tinted with transparent colors to suit Patented Dec. 18, 191 '7.

the tastes or conditions. The front is fixed upon a frame which latter may be made of any suitable material, as metal. It consists of a suitably constructed box the size of the. picture or sign. Secured within the box are metal partitions which are so arranged as to separate the various figures appearing on the front of the box from each other and forming light-tight boxes or spaces. The depth or height of the partitions is not fixed but is governed by conditions, but there Emust be space enough between the front and the back to receive electric lamps with some clearance between thelatter and the front.

The number of lamp receptacles or spaces above referred to must correspond to the number of figures or objects to be shown in the picture. These receptacles are arranged so that the lamps when screwed in will fit between the partitions surrounding the pictures; when the back is placed in position there will `be a lamp behind each picture. Thelamps are Wired up and connected to contact rings or segments on an automatic flasher and when electric current is led to each of these segments in succession the lamps corresponding thereto will be lighted, the arrangement belng such that any number of lamps may be lighted at one time, or that some of the lamps may be kept lighted while others are extinguished.

The fact that everything except the figures is opaque allows only that figure to show when the lamp is lighted and it does not show on the front when the lamp is not liglted.

he lamps being lighted in succession one picture after another will be shown and these pictures being in close proximity to each other and having attitudes of a person in the act of walking or running produces a moving eHect as a person going from one point to another.

Objects such as electric fixtures, lamps and phrases or reading matter of any kind can be shown as readily as persons, animals, etc.

For exterior use, the sign may be provided with an inclosing frame having a glass covering the front of the device to keep it in ood shape to stand weather conditions.

n the present instance I have chosen to show my invention as embodied in a sign representing a restaurant with a lady and gentleman and a waiter. It is evident, however, that the sign may include a greater or less number of persons and may represent other scenes, such as avboot and shoe store, or a drug store, a cigar store, etc.

VIn the drawings, 1 represents the front or face of the device, said front being made of any semitransparent material and 2 is a plate which may be made of metal, fiber or other suitable material, preferably opaque, and said parts are carried by any suitably constructed frame 3, which may be 0f any suitable shape and dimensions varying with the varying conditions and the character of the. picture to be represented.

On the reverse side of the face or front are drawn pictures, as f1, representing in the present instance a waiter, each succeeding picture or representation of the waiter having a pose or attitude which such a personage would naturally assume in the act of walking into a room through an open door and passing to the table where the guests are seated and bending over to speak to such guests. On the rear side of the front are the figures 5 of a gentleman entering through a separate doorway 6, and a. lady,7, these pictures being so disposed as to represent the lady and gentleman entering the doorway 6 and walking to the table 8 and afterward sitting down in the chairs 9 and 10 respectively. It is to be understood that these pictures are drawn or ailixed upon the front or face in proper places in relation to the picture or representation as a whole and that the pictures are so placed that one will not be superimposed upon another or in direct alinement therewith, except in the pnesent instance, the first two pictures of the lady and gentleman entering the room together.

In some instances a glass as 11 may be placed over the face or front, as seen in Fig. 2, to protect the same from the weather when the picture is used for outdoor advertising purposes. Indoors this glass may be omitted. Around the outline of each ligure and excepting the figures described, the paper or other material employed for the front is coated with a suitable material or paint to make it opaque or light-tight or light-proof.

The parts 1, 2, 3 and portion 13 constitute a box or inclosure within which are arranged the partitions 14 and 15, preferably of tin, forming means of separating each figure from the other and forming light-tight spaces or. receptacles in which electric bulbs 16 are placed. It is to be understood that there is a separate lamp for each picture or representation and these lamps are suitably connected up with a source of electricity and said lamps are lighted in accordance with the nature and character of the sign and the picture represented thereby, this, of course, varying with each separate picture or design and also may be varied 1n the one picture or sign by change of the contacts of the fiasher, as will be made apparent as the de-A scription proceeds.

It will be understood that the pictures are seen upon the front onl when the lamps behind the same are lighted. The lighting of the lamps, however, is so arranged that one picture after another is thrown into view in such rapid succession as to give the effect of a moving or motion picture. Some parts may be shown continuously, as for example the electric ceiling light 17, the tables 8 and 19, and the chairs 9 and 10. This continuous lighting is made possible by a contact brush, presently described, making contact with a long contact section or ring of the flasher. The length of time each picture is seen may be varied by the length of the contact section. It will, of course, be evident that the shorter the contact the shorter the time of exposure of the picture, and the longer the contact the greater the length of time the picture will be seen.

On thefront of the sign there may be further desired representations as for instance as seen in Fig. l, where there will be found displayed the Vwords What will you have as seen at 30, the samebeing represented as coming from the mouth of the waiter, and the words Corn flakes as seen at31 and 32 as coming from the mouths of the lady and gentleman respectively.

Any other suitable words :may be shown, it being understood that each of the questions and answers will be made visible when the lamps thereof are lighted, which latter takes place at the proper time.

For the purpose of automatically lighting up the various electric lamps to render visible in proper order the different features of the picture and lthe representations of the persons in the picture, and also for automatically7 extinguishing such lamps, I provide the means which I will now proceed to describe in detail:

The box containing the electric lamps is provided with a rear plate or back 34 having an annular opening 35 within which fits a drum or disk 36 provided with a circumferential flange 37 which lies against the inner face of the back 34 and is secured to the latter by screws` 38. The disk is composed of any desired insulating material as fiber. orv the like. The disk carries a plurality of metallic rings 39 concentrically arranged, such rings excepting the outermost one, being inserted within recesses in the disk. The outermost ring is divided into a plurality of sections or segments 4 0 separated by insulating material 41 the sections being secured to the disk by screws 40".

' The number of the contact rings as well as the number of the segments may be varied and will depend somewhat upon the number of features or representations which are to be rendered visible in, the picture. The size or length of the contact segments and also of the contact surface of the rings will be varied according to the length of time that the representations corresponding to the rings and segments are to be kept visible, the greater the length of a segment or contact surface on a ring the longer time the representations corresponding thereto will be kept visible, and vice versa.

Each of the segments of the outermost ring and each of the other rings excepting the innermost ring is in electrical connection wlth a lamp 16 by means of a wire 42 secured to lthe segment and rings, each wire passing through the disk and thence to a lamp.

Centrally of the disk there is provided a metallic bushing or sleeve 45 Vscrewed into said disk and threaded interiorly to receive an exteriorly threaded shaft 46 carrying an enlargement 47 having squared faces 48 to adapt it to receive a wrench for unscrewing the shaft from the disk.

Loosely mounted upon the shaft adjacent the enlargement 47 is an arm 49 constructed of some suitable insulating material, as fiber. This arm carries a plurality of `contact brushes 50 in electrical connection with a metallic plate 51, the brushes and plate being secured to the arm by screws 52. The contact brushes 50 are of such a' length that their outer ends will bear firmly upon the outer faces of the metallic rings and segments. I propose to make the contact of the brushes with the rings and segments a resilient one and for this purpose I construct the brushes of some more or less springy metal and preferably of a plurality of strips, as three, arranged one upon another, the lowermost strip being the longest and the others being successively shorter. In this way I get a better spring contact with the rings and segments.

The brush-carrying arm 49 is preferably beveled oil' to provide an inclined face 55, one end of the brushes being secured against this inclined face whereby the brushes will lie at an angle relatively to the rings and segments. By arranging the brushes at an angle as described they will have a wiping contact with the rings and segments. Any other suitable way of securing the brushes and plate to the arm may be adopted.

The innermost ring 39 receives electrical current through wire 42 and said current then passes through the innermostbrush on the arm 49 and through the metallic strip or .lplate 51 to the other rings 39 and segments through the respective brushes 50.

A For the purpose of obtaining a better illuminating effect of the various fi ures or objects appearing on the face of t e sign, Ipropose to so construct the brushes that there will be no well defined period between the ending of the illumination of one representation of a person and the beginning of the illumination of the succeeding rep resentation of the same person, thereby producing a more life-like and pleasing effect upon the eye of the observer.

For the attainment of the above object I construct the contact end of each brush at an angle as shown at 56, thus producing a long contact edge on each brush so that in the rotation of the arm 49, as'the edge or point 57 of a brush is just about to move out of contact with a segment 40 (see Fig. 8) the edge or point 58 of said brush will be just moving into contact with the adjacent'segment. Thus the instant before the lamp connected with the right hand segment seen in Figs. 5 and 6 is extinguished thelamp connected with the left hand segment. will be lighted.

For rotating the arm-49 on the shaft 46 I employ any suitable type of electric motor 60 which is supported onvthe shaft 48, the small gear wheel 61 of the reduction gearing of the motor meshing with the large gear wheel 62 loosely mounted on the shaft 46. The speed of the gearing is such that the gear wheel 62 will be turnedmore or less slowly and this turning movement may bevaried in the usual manner by means of a suitable controlling rheostat 60 combined with the motor.

Carried by the gear wheel 62 is a stud or pin 63 threaded in an aperture in said gear wheel and adapted to be adjusted endwise, one end of said stud or pin projecting from one face of the gea'r wheel 62 suiiciently to strike against and carry around with it the arm 49 when said gear wheel rotates. The motor is to be suitably wired up with a source of electric current, as for instance through the media of wires 64 and when the current is turned on the gear wheel 6l will rotate the gear wheel 62, thus causing the stud or pin 63 to strike against the arm 49 and rotate the latter on shaft 46, whereby the brushes will make sliding or wiping contact with the rings and segments and cause the electric lamps corresponding to the said rings and segments to be lighted.

As long as a brush continues in contact with a ring or segment the electric lamp in connection therewith will be lighted and it will be extinguished as soon as the brush leaves the ring or segment.

By the arrangement of the parts as above described the motor, gear wheel 62, arm 49 and shaft 46 may be bodily removed from connection with the disk by first adjusting the stud or pin 63 in a direction away from the arm 49 so that it will not strike the same and rotate it reversely, and then applying a wrench to the enlargement on the shaft and unscrewing the latter from the disk.

In order that the various parts may be protected from dust, I employ a dust cover 65 which lits detachably over the motor and contiguous parts and engages snugly the circumferential shoulder 66 of the disk.

' In cases where an object in the picture is to be displayed for practically the entire time that the rest of the picture is being shown, as for instance the ceiling light, the

i table and the chairs in the picture shown in the drawings, there may be a ring provided for each one of these objects, or all of them may be made visible simultaneously that when the brush reaches said notch or depression the lamp will be extinguished and so maintained until the brush again bears upon the contact surface of the ring.

In Flg. 9 I show a slightly modified way of securing` the contact segments to the disk, said segments 70 being in angular form and embedded in the material of the disk 71 and carrying screws 72 for attachment of the I wires leading to the electric bulbs.

Having above described the manner in which the invention may be carried out, I will now describe the operation which is as follows: Such parts of the furnishings of the roomv or other parts of the picture as may be desired, may be caused to be shown continuously or for a greater or less length of time. In the present instance the ceiling light 17, as well as the tables and chairs may be shown constantly, that is during the entire length of time that the picture is displayed, and to accom lish this the contact ring of the flasher wi l be continuous if such parts are to be displayed continuously, or` with an uninterrupted contact surface corresponding to the length of time they are to be displayed. The other objects are thrown into view, for instance, as follows: the lamps are so connected up with the sections and rings that the picture of the lady and gentleman entering the room through the door 6 are irst thrown into view; then the next will be the picture of the lady and gentleman roceeding, then the picture of the lady seate in a chair, then that of the gentleman passin around the table to the chair at the other side of the latter, and then the picture of the gentleman seated in the chair 10. The lady sitting in the chair and the gentleman sitting in the other chair are then caused to remain in representations of said persons are caused to disappear one after another by reason of the brushes being no longer in contact with the particular ring sections therefor. Then the picture of the waiter is shown entering the door and by means of the proper contacts between the brushes and the ring sections each succeeding picture is shown until the waiter is shown at the back of the chair of the gentleman, it being understood that all of the other pictures of the waiter are thrown out of view in rapid succession. The pictures are thrown into view with such rapid suc view, it being understood that the other l ilecession that they are given the appearance of a person in motion.

As soon as the picture of the waiter is shown at the back" of the chair, the words What will you have are next shown and then as they disappear from View the words Corn flakes are shown as if issuing from the mouths of the lady and gentleman simultaneously. Then all of the lights are extinguished, including or not those behind the lamp 17 and the tables and chairs as may be desired.

The flasher is arranged so that after an interval of say a minute, more or less, the same mode of procedure is followed and the sign again illuminated in the same way. 'lhis may continue for any given length of time, flashingl atv predetermined intervals for as many hours as the party for whom the advertisement is displayed may wish.

Of course it will be understood that when the sign is made for other sorts of displays the pictures are differently arranged and will be varied in character accordingly.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have devised a simple yet veryeffective sign giving a moving picture effect and while the structural embodiment of the invention as herein disclosed is whatl consider preferable at the present time, it is evident that the same is subject to changes, variations and modifications in detail, proportion of parts, etc., without departing from the spirit of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages. l, therefore, do not intend to restrict myself to such details as are herein disclosed but reserve the right to make such changes, variations and modifications as come properly within the scope of the invention.

What l claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l, ln a switch mechanism for flashing electric lights of a box advertising sign substantially as disclosed, a disk of insulating material carried by the boxing, a plurality of contact sections carried by the disk and insulated from cach other, eletrical connections between the said sections and the electric lamps` a shaft mounted in the disk, a brush-carrying arm of insulating material loosely mounted on the shaft, a metallic brush secured 'to the arm and bearing upon the successive sections, an electrical motor mounted on the said shaft, a gear wheel also loosely mounted on the shaft, a pin carried by the gear wheel and adapted 'to rotate the brush-c: arm, and gearing between the moto' said gear wheel.

ln ch mechanism for flashing electric ligl a boa advertising sign substantiallIJ sclosed, a disk of insulating material li d bythe boating, concentrically arranged contact rings carried by the disk, one of whit,i rf is divided into plurality of sections insulated from each other and the other rings having their contact surfaces cut away at intervals, electrical connections between the various rings and the electric lamps, a shaft mounted in the disk, a brush-carrying arm of insulating material loosely mounted on the shaft, metallic brushes secured to the arm and making contact with the rings, an electrical motor mounted on the said shaft, a ygear wheel also loosely mounted on the shaft, a pin carried by the gear wheel and adapted to rotate the arm, and gearing between the motor and said gear wheel.

3. In a switch mechanism for flashing electric lights of a box advertising sign substantially as disclosed, a disk of insulating material c arried by the boxing, a plurality of Contact sections carried by the disk and insulated from each other, electrical connections between the said sections and the electric lamps, a shaft mounted in the disk, a brush-carrying arm of insulating material loosely mounted on the shaft, a metallic brush secured to the arm and bearing upon the successive sections, an electrical motor mounted on the said shaft, a gear wheel also loosely mounted on the shaft, a pin adjustably carried by the gear wheel and adapted to rotate .the brush-carrying arm, and `gearing between the motor and said gear wheel.

l. ln a switch mechanism for flashing electric lights of a boX advertising sign sub-- stantially as disclosed, a disk of insulating material carried by the boxing, a plurality of contact sections carried by thedisk and insulated from each other, electrical connections between the said sections and the electric lamps, a shaft mounted in the disk, a brush-carrying arm of insulating material loosely mounted on the shaft, a metallic brush secured to the arm and adapted-to bear upon the successive sections, said brush having its contact edge arranged at an angle and of a predetermined length relatively t0 two adjacent sections of the contact ring, an electrical motor mounted on the shaft, a pin carried by the gear wheel and adapted to rotate the brush-carrying arm, and gearing between the motor and the said gear wheels.

5. ln a switch mechanism for flashing electric lights of a box advertisin sign substantially as disclosed, a disk o? insulating material carried by the boring, a plurality of contact sections carried by the disk and insulated from each other, electrical connections between the said sections and the electric lamps, a shaft threaded in a threaded opening in the disk, a brush-carrying arm of insulating material loosely mounted on the shaft, a metal "c brush secured to the arm and adapted bear upon the-successive rical motor mounted on the ns, an c shaft, a l wheel also loosely mormted on the shaft, said motor, gear wheel, arm and shaft being adapted for removal bodily from the disk when the shaft is unserewed therefrom, a pin carried by the gear wheel and adapted to rotate the brush-carrying arm, and gearing between the motor and said gear wheel.

6. In a switch mechanism for flashing eleotrie lights of a boX advertising sign substantially as disclosed, a disk of insulating material carried by the boxing, a plurality of Contact sections carried by the disk and insulated from each other, electrical connections between the said sections and the electric lamps, a shaft mounted in the disk, a brush-carrying arm of insulating material loosely mounted on the shaft, a metallic brush secured to the arm, said brush being composed of a plurality of superposed metallic plates, the lowermost one of which is adapted to bear upon the successive sections of the ring, an electrical motor mounted on the said shaft, a gear wheel also loosely mounted on the shaft, a pin carried by the gear wheel and adaptedto rotate the brush-carrying arm, and gearing between the motor and the said gear wheel.

In testimony whereof I aiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE S. COLEMAN.

Witnesses:

JAS. J. MCKENNA, ELIZABETH K. DEITH. 

